Rector of Heidelberg UniversityCurriculum Vitae
Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior
Rector of Heidelberg University
Personal information
Born in Heidelberg in 1962
University education
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1987–1990 | Doctorate, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-Universität Marburg Title of dissertation: “Stilbene Synthase from Wine: Structure, Function and Expression”, Supervisor: Prof. Dr Helmut Kindl |
1981–1987 | Chemistry degree at Philipps-Universität Marburg including six months at the University of Bristol (UK), diploma thesis in plant biochemistry |
Academic career
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2021–2023 | Member of the Board of Directors, Forschungszentrum Jülich, responsible for Board Division III, Life Sciences |
2008–2023 | Professor (W3) for Molecular Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH) From 1 April 2021 to 15 August 2023 on leave on the Jülich Model. |
2016–2018 | Member of the Directorate, Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS) |
2013–2019 | Deputy spokesperson, CellNetworks Excellence Cluster, Heidelberg University |
2012–2016 | Deputy spokesperson, Collaborative Research Centre 1036 “Cellular Surveillance and Damage Response”, Heidelberg University |
2011–2013 | Spokesperson, Heidelberg Molecular Life Sciences (HMLS) Research Council (member and deputy member from 2010 to 2021) |
2005–2008 | Spokesperson, Collaborative Research Centre 523 “Protein and Membrane Transport between Cellular Compartments”, University of Göttingen |
2004–2008 | Professor (W3) of Biochemistry, Department of Human Medicine, University of Göttingen |
1999–2004 | Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried. Topic: Protein modification with ubiquitin-related proteins of the SUMO family (funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research) |
1998–1999 | Working group leader at the Gene Center, LMU Munich, and Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried |
1992–1998 | Postdoc at Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA. Topic: Protein import in the cell nucleus of mammalian cells |
1990–1992 | Postdoc at Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen. Topic: RNA1p in the fission yeast |
Functions in academic self-administration, Heidelberg University
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Seit 2023 | Rector of Heidelberg University |
2016–2018 | Dean of the Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University |
2010–2016 | Member of the Directorate of the DKFZ-ZMBH-Alliance |
2010–2015 | Vice-Dean for research, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University |
Memberships of scientific bodies and commissions
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2015–2023 | Advisory Board, Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation |
2015–2023 | Advisory Board, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen |
2018–2020 | Editorial Board, Journal of Cell Biology |
2014–2016 | DFG Senate Committee on the prospects of research |
2012–2017 | Standing Advisory Board, Tenure Track Evaluations at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt |
2012–2016 | Senate of the German Research Foundation (DFG) |
2012–2015 | Scientific Committee of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) |
2008–2013 | DFG Senate and Grants Committee on Research Training Groups |
2007–2010 | Postdoctoral Selection Committee, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation |
2006–2012 | Advisory Board, Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) |
Scholarships and awards
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2018 | FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award |
2014 | Election to the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina |
2010 | Member of AcademiaNet |
2007 | Election as member of European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) |
2005 | Binder Innovation Prize, German Society for Cell Biology |
1999 | BioFuture Prize of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (young research group funding for five years) |
1995–1997 | Senior postdoctoral fellowship, American Cancer Society |
1992–1994 | DFG postdoctoral fellowship |
1984–1985 | DAAD student scholarship (six months) |
Research field
Posttranslational modification with SUMO
How can cells and multicellular organisms react to constantly changing environmental conditions? How do they respond to food shortage, stress or growth factors? Each individual cell measures countless parameters and turns them into intracellular signals that can lead to changes in cellular status. A number of mechanisms make cells available for these adjustments. Enzymatically catalysed changes are especially rapid in intracellular proteins, which are achieved through attaching or cutting off building-blocks such as phosphate groups, fatty acids or small proteins: this process is also called posttranslational protein modification.
In the mid-1990s we discovered an important new protein modification, the reversible linking of proteins with the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO). Since then, we have made many substantial contributions to understanding this modification. They include the identification and analysis of enzymes and substrates; the development of methods to reconstitute SUMOylation with purified proteins in vitro; the analysis of the SUMO proteome after treating cells with various stimuli; and discovering the regulation of SUMOylation by oxidative stress or changing the SUMOylation under the influence of growth factors. Today we know that the transient attachment of SUMO is a widespread regulating mechanism – necessary for life − in many cellular processes in all eukaryotes. Errors in SUMOylation can contribute to disease development, and SUMOylation has meanwhile become a goal of pharmacological intervention.
Selected publications
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Barysch, S.V., Stankovic-Valentin, N., Miedema, T., Karaca, S., Doppel, J.,
Nait Achour, T., Vasudeva, A., Wolf, L., Sticht, C., Urlaub, H. and
Melchior, F. (2020) Transient deSUMOylation of IRF2BP proteins controls
early transcription in EGFR signaling.
EMBO Rep. 22, e49651. - Flotho, F. and Melchior, F. (2013) SUMOylation - a regulatory protein modification in health and disease. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 82, 357-385.
- Becker, J., Barysch, S.V., Karaca, S., Dittner, C., Hsiao, H.H., Berriel Diaz, M., Herzig, S., Urlaub, S. and Melchior, F. (2013) Detecting endogenous SUMO targets in mammalian cells and tissues. Nat. Struct. & Mol. Biol. 20, 525-31.
- Meulmeester, E. and Melchior, F. (2008) Cell Biology: SUMO. Nature 452, 709-711. Review.
- Bossis, G. and Melchior, F. (2006) Regulation of SUMOylation by reversible oxidation of SUMO conjugating enzymes. Mol. Cell 21, 349-357.
- Pichler, A., Gast, A., Seeler, J.S., Dejean, A. and Melchior, F. (2002) The nucleoporin RanBP2 is a SUMO1 E3 Ligase. Cell 108, 109-120.
- Mahajan, R., Delphin, C., Guan, T., Gerace, L. and Melchior, F. (1997) A small ubiquitin related polypeptide involved in targeting RanGAP1 to nuclear pore complex protein RanBP2. Cell 88, 97-107.
- Melchior, F., Paschal, B., Evans, J., and Gerace, L. (1993) Inhibition of nuclear protein import by nonhydrolyzable analogues of GTP and identification of the small GTPase Ran/TC4 as an essential transport factor. J. Cell Biol. 123, 1649-1659.